Why Are The Drums So Silent? by Dawud Wharnsby Ali

All the sounds that surround us,
All the noises that dumb-found us,
The clatter and the clammer of the clutter of our lives.
Cars and streets, make silence shatter,
Idle minds fill up with idle chatter,
If we fill our void, that’s all that matters.

CHORUS
Why are the drums so silent?
Why can’t we hear the rhythm?
What’s wrong with you and I?
Why are the drums so silent?
Why can’t we hear the rhythm from the heels of believers
Marching to the garden as they strive.

We digitise the revelation,
Does our rehearsed recitation,
Go any deeper than our throats?
Our calls to prayer seem to raise up to the sky.
Conferences, and lectures, seminars for you and I.
The words that blow away with the nasheed that make us cry,
YET

Why are the drums so silent?
Why can’t we hear the rhythm?
What’s wrong with you and I?
Why are the drums so silent?
Why can’t we hear the rhythm from the heels of believers
Marching to the garden as they strive.

And if we can just be brave enough to be each other’s mirror.
We might finally recognise the face of conscience that we fear.
And if we can finally take the time to face the mute the noise
We’ve built around ourselves.
The rhythm of the heartbeat and the purpose may be clear.


If we beat the drums,
A whisper of peace,
Beat the drums,
Moving through the land,
BEAT THE DRUMS,
OOOoooOOOOoooooOOoO

If we beat the drums of hope and faith,
We will all fall into rhythm,
I have faith in you and I,
I we beat the drums of hope and faith,
Then we will hear the rhythm from our footsteps and our striving marching to the garden as we try.

If we beat the drums of hope and faith,
We will all fall into rhythm,
I have faith in you and I,
I we beat the drums of hope and faith,
Then we will feel the rhythm from our footsteps and our striving marching to the garden as we die.

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